Reading Programs

Join Our Reading Programs

The Porter County Public Library System is committed to getting patrons hooked on books at an early age! Our Reading Programs are designed to encourage and foster a love of books. We make reading fun by offering great programs like our Summer Reading Program and 1000 Books Before Kindergarten program. If you’d like to join one of the programs, visit your PCPLS library branch and the staff will be more than happy to help get you started!

How can the early literacy program help my child to develop?

Our library follows the practices of Every Child Ready to Read to encourage early literacy among children.

Talking: Talking with children helps them learn oral language, one of the most critical early literacy skills. The experience of self-expression also stimulates brain development, which underlies all learning.

Singing: Singing – which also includes rhyming – increases children’s awareness of and sensitivity to the sounds in words. This helps prepare children to decode print (written language).

Reading: Reading together, or shared reading, remains the single most effective way to help children become proficient readers.

Writing: Writing and reading go together. Writing helps children learn that letters and words stand for sounds and that print has meaning.

Playing: Play is one of the primary ways young children learn about the world. General knowledge is an important literacy skill that helps children understand books and stories once they begin to read.

All five PCPLS branch libraries/locations host interactive story times for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers. They will sing, play, hear stories, and participate in activities that encourage reading readiness and developmental skills.